La Romana – Los Toros del Este secured a resounding 4-2 victory over the Tigres del Licey, achieving a sweep in the double-header held this Friday at the Francisco A. Micheli Stadium. The impeccable performance from the mound by Justin Courtney and the offensive power of Bryan De La Cruz were key to the triumph.
With this victory, the Bulls improve their record to 12-11, solidifying themselves in second place in the tournament with a one-and-a-half game lead. On the other hand, the Tigers fall to fifth place with a 9-14 record, suffering their third consecutive loss.
Justin Courtney (1-0, 0.00) was the standout figure of the match, pitching five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, one walk, and striking out four batters. Nico Tellache (1-2, 3.94) took the loss, allowing three runs in 3.2 innings.
The Toros’ pitching staff was fundamental throughout the doubleheader, limiting the Licey to only 3 hits in 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Game Annotations
- First inning: Gilberto Celestino received a walk, Jared Oliva bunted for an infield hit, and after a fielder’s choice, Celestino scored the first run for the Toros, putting the score at 1-0.
- Second inning: Yairo Muñoz opened with a double and, after advancing to third, scored thanks to an aggressive play, extending the lead to 2-0.
- Fourth inning: Muñoz received a walk and scored from first on a double by Ronaldo Hernández to left field, raising the score to 3-0.
- Fifth inning: Bryan De La Cruz hit a solo home run, his third of the tournament, making the score 4-0.
- Ninth inning (Licey): The Tigres scored with an RBI single by Liover Peguero and a sacrifice fly by Ángel Ortíz.
Featured Players
Toros del Este
- Ronaldo Hernández: 3-1, double, 2 RBIs
- Bryan De La Cruz: 4-1, HR, 1 RBI, 1 run scored
- Jared Oliva: 4-2, two singles
- Yairo Muñoz: 2-1, double, walk, two runs scored
- Félix Reyes: 1 RBI
Licey Tigers
- Liover Peguero: 3-2, 1 RBI
- Ángel Ortíz: 1 RBI
- Cristhian Adames and Mel Rojas Jr.: one hit each
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Toros defeated the Licey 7-6, thanks to the four RBIs by Yairo Muñoz and a bases-loaded walk received by Denzer Guzmán.
The Toros will return to the field this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. to face the Leones del Escogido at the Francisco A. Micheli Stadium.
